Soggy in Southwold: GQ's highlights from this year's Latitude festival

Wandering from an early morning talk on the Higgs Boson to check
out a set by Lianne La Havas while munching on a Loch Fyne crab and
salmon burger - the crowd at this year's Latitude did little to
shake its reputation as the summer's most middle class festival.
But there's no doubting the diversity on show: where else this
summer could one watch a set by Django Django, stand-up from Russell Kane and a BAFTA talk on screenwriting
from Abi Morgan in the same weekend? Here are
GQ.com's highlights, collapsing tent and intermittent downpours
notwithstanding…

1. The award for most obsessive fanbase goes not to the
synth-moshing teens at Metronomy or screaming fangirls at Lana Del
Rey but the devotees of a certain keyboard playing quantum physicist. Nothing is
as incongruous as hearing "We love Cox!" during a Radio 4
recording.

2. Anyone doubting if the serene Bon Iver would translate into a headline act
were soon silenced - Justin Vernon and co. gave their set a rousing
rock edge with the help of two drum kits, synths and a series of
electric guitars. Our highlight was an anthemic reworking of
"Creature Fear" from For Emma, Forever Ago. Less expected
was the enthusiastic support for Vernon's unusual facial hair
choice - his set was blessed with loud exclamations of, "I love
your mutton chops!" between songs.

3. Showcasing their brilliant debut Give You The Ghost,
Poliça put on an incredible mid-afternoon show on the Lake stage.
Though we doubt the Minneapolis five-piece might never perform
"Violent Games" to so many people in Barbour jackets ever
again…

4. The most common theme of the weekend: performers referencing
the middle-class skew of the crowd (dress code: Hunter wellies,
off-roader Bugaboo). However, no-one did it better than London
comedian Doc Brown, who stormed the overcrowded Comedy Stage with a
freestyle rap on the subject of making the perfect cup of tea.

5. It was a fitting final showing for The Word stage. The highlight? Lianne La Havas belting out a stunning
rendition of "Forget" from her debut Is Your Love Big
Enough? We can only hope the tented arena retains the late magazine's name in the memory - but we
suspect it won't.